Weekend Project 2: Doorbell Upgrade

This was one of the easiest weekend projects I’ve done. I heard about ring.com doorbell system from a coworker when we were at lunch one day and she answered the doorbell from her phone when a UPS driver showed up at her home. I was a little intimated (as I am with all things to deal with electric), however, I was able to complete the install from start to finish in an hour one Sunday before church.

First step is to download the app to your phone and connect to your WiFi. Once you have the software functioning it’s on to the hardware. I started by turning the electric off at the breaker to the front patio. I then unscrewed the original contractor grade doorbell, pulled out the wires and bent them so they wouldn’t fall into the hole. Next I grabbed my trusty drill and put a mason bit on and drilled the holes for my new base.

Please note, most homes don’t install the doorbell this close to the corner. I put the ring.com doorbell in the same spot my original doorbell was so that it would cover the hole. If you do this project, I very much doubt that your will be this close to the wall so you will have a better view. After you have the base on, the camera/doorbell slide easily on and then have security screws to tighten it to the base. The finished product:

Once installed we tested it out and this is an example of what you see on your cell phone:

From your phone you can answer your doorbell from anywhere and talk to the person on the other end. Since I connected the device to my old doorbell wiring it also rings my in-home bell still as well.

For the first 30 days you get Cloud Video Recording for free after that it’s $3/month or $30/year. This allows you to view past events and share clips with friends, neighbors and law enforcement if need be.

I love this upgrade to my home and use it weekly. I hope you enjoy your ring.com doorbell as much as I do!